Walking Stick Z - Part 6- Pattern Transfer

Wax paper covers the right hand strip of the pattern.

I'm moving ahead on my walking stick project.  In my last post I blogged about creating the Celtic Knot

Pattern traced over with a colored pencil.

Work pattern.  I also linked to some web sites that were helpful in teaching me how to create the patterns.  Today I am blogging about transferring the pattern I created onto the walking stick.  There is more than one way to transfer a pattern.  Some methods work better than others.  I have my preferred method, but I will also blog about my experiences with a couple of other methods because it may help save you some aggravation or extra work.  First off, I want to briefly get into what did not work well and why.  Then I will go into a detailed description of the method I use and why I like
this method.

Wax paper taped to stick colored pencil side down.

The most obvious method of pattern transfer is to use transfer paper.  This is essentially what we used to call carbon paper.  You put a piece of the transfer paper under your design and then go over your design with a pencil or pen.  You will have a copy.  There are drawbacks to the method though.  The prime annoyance is that the copy is easy to wipe off or smear your copy accidentally.  That may require you to recopy a portion of your pattern.  It is not always easy to get the pattern lined up exactly.  Another potential problem is that the smeared carbon can get into the wood and leave streaks that have to be sanded to remove them. 

Pattern transferred to the walking stick in the original direction.

Another method I did not have much success with was to print the pattern, place it on the surface, and dab the back of the paper with alcohol to cause the ink to transfer.  Yes, it worked, but it was not suitable for this purpose.  The liquified ink bled into small cracks and fissures in the wood leaving a very smeary design.  The rounded surface of the walking stick caused the ink to run off easily.  There are other transfer mediums that work with paper products that I have not tried, but after the work that it took to get the walking stick back into a useable condition I was not tempted to try them.

Now, on to what works.  My plan for this walking stick is to have the knot work pattern spiral around the stick.  This is how I transferred the pattern to the stick.  I have used it on quite a few sticks, and it has never failed or caused me a problem.  Even better, it is fairly inexpensive.  Supplies for this project: wax paper, a dark colored pencil (I use an Indigo, but any color with enough contrast would work as well.), some blue painter's tape, a pencil sharpener, a stylus or pen with a rounded head, and a smooth, hard work surface.  You work with one strip of the pattern at a time, but it saves paper if you print several copies on one sheet.  This method works better for me than transfer paper because the colored pencil does not brush off easily or smear the pattern.  You can put the walking stick aside for days and the pattern will remain intact and ready to use.

Begin by taping your pattern down to your smooth work surface facing upwards.  Cut a piece of the wax paper 1/2 inch larger than a strip of your pattern.  Tape the wax paper strip over top of your pattern, making sure that none of the pattern is covered by the tape. (Photo 1.)

Using the colored pencil, trace over the pattern.  (Photo 2.)  Now here is the tricky part of this.  If you read the previous blog post you may remember that I drew my design, then copied over the lines with a marker.  The marker bled through the paper enough that I could trace over it from the back side and have the design without all the distracting dots and erasure lines.  (Or I could have used a light box or taped the design to a well lit window to facilitate the process.)  That is fine for this pattern, but what it means is that I am working with the reverse.  After I copy over the pattern onto the wax paper, I will flip the wax paper over and tape it to the walking stick, the pattern is going to transfer so that the lines will be going in the direction that I originally drew the pattern. 

This matters considerably if I am using letters and words.  For example: a capital B faces curved parts to the right.  If I were to draw a capital B, cover it with wax paper, trace it onto wax paper, flip the wax paper over, and transfer the pattern, the letter would be reversed. If something is direction sensitive, work from the back of the pattern so that it will transfer in the proper direction. Make sure that you know which way your transfer is going to print. It is always a good idea to experiment on a scrap piece of wood before committing your pattern to the walking stick. 

Now that the direction issue has been dealt with, the rest of the process is relatively simple.  Tape the design colored pencil side down onto the walking stick.  I chose to have the design  spiral around the stick.  Use small bits of blue painters tape to tape the wax paper to the stick.  Use a ball headed stylus or other rounded object.  If you don't have a ball headed stylus, you could use a pencil, ball point pen that is out of ink, or a wooden skewer that has had the tip sanded to a rounded point.  Go over each line with a fairly strong pressure, going over each line a number of times to make sure the pattern transfers well.  Be careful not to rip the wax paper.  When you have finished your transfer, check each line before you remove the pattern.  If you find that you did miss something go over it now.  It is easier than trying to line up the pattern once it has been removed. 

 Each strip of the printed pattern can be used multiple times, but eventually it begins to show wear and tear.  When that happens I move on to the next strip.  I generally only use the wax paper strips once.  You can get a second transfer, but it is much fainter than the original transfer.  The wax paper is somewhat fragile and tends to rip if you use it a second time.

Once in a while you may find that a section of the pattern did not transfer well.  In some cases you can just wing it and draw the line in with the colored pencil.  If it is a complex part of the pattern you are going to be better off taping the pattern back into place and going over that part again.  In a repeating pattern, differences in the pattern are quite noticeable.  Winging it is more expedient, but getting the pattern right is more important.   In some cases it may be necessary to add more colored pencil to the wax paper to get the section to transfer well. 

So that is about it for today's blog.  Next blog I will be showing the different wood burning tips and how they work with this pattern.